Sports

UMass Bets Big On Football Program Despite Poor Attendance

by Henry Epp

Like many public universities before it, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has made the move to the top level of college football, known as Football Bowl Subdivision. The program is now in its second year of play. The team is struggling and attendance is weak. The school is pumping more money into football, and some faculty are questioning the investment. But others are calling for patience.
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You Asked For It: Frank Deford's Top 12 List

by Frank Deford

Commentator Frank Deford responds to suggestions of things he should comment on. Here, he takes on the Washington Redskins' name; high school football games on national TV; hockey fights; Pete Rose and the Baseball Hall of Fame; and the tradition of pouring Gatorade on winning coaches.
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'Fun' Teams Out Of Baseball Playoffs

The Red Sox have their beards and the Tigers their bankrupt city, but the Moneyball boys from Oakland and the Pirates, who had their first winning season in 21 years, are eliminated. Host Scott Simon talks to NPR's Tom Goldman about the week's sports news, checking in on the Major League Championship Series and the early weeks of the NFL season.
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His Dodgers In The Playoffs, A Legendary Announcer Keeps On

by Ben Bergman

Legendary Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully is widely considered the greatest sportscaster of all time. He's certainly the longest-tenured — he turns 86 in November — and yet, by all accounts he still has his fastball. He recently announced that he would return for a 65th season next year, in part because he's energized by the success of the team. With the Dodgers in the playoffs for the first time in four years, many fans will be muting the TV so they can hear Scully, who will only be calling games in his one-man booth on the radio.
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